From the beginning, I had a feeling that my stepmother would find a way to disrupt the wedding of my brother. However, the manner in which she approached it was excessive, even for her. The fact that it would be her last act was something that she did not anticipate.
Vionna, my stepmother, had the ability to make everything about her, even if it meant destroying relationships that she pretended she did not appreciate. However, I never imagined that she would go after Nana. On top of that, I never imagined that she would pick the worst possible time to carry it out.
My name is Zeryn, and I am the oldest of two children. I was eleven years old when our mother passed away, and my brother Thalion was seven years old. An unexpected aneurysm occurred when, one moment, she was putting us to bed, and the next morning, she was nowhere to be found.
Immediately after that, the house fell into complete silence, and I can still vividly recall how swiftly Nana entered the room.
Elowyn is her name, although no one ever refers to her by that name. Nana is the person who brings us comfort, routine, and safety. We are virtually raised by her following the funeral of our mother, who passed away. She is our mother’s mother.
The lunches that we ate at school were packed by Nana, she stitched my prom dress, and she was there for every single soccer game and school performance. She was more than just a grandmother; she was our rock, our place of foundation.
Nana sat on the edge of my bed and assured me that I would be fine while my father was unable to speak without breaking down in tears.
She would sing softly till Thalion fell asleep if he was experiencing night terrors.
In the two years that followed the funeral of Mom, Dad remarried.
It was through this means that Vionna became involved.
Thalion did not fully understand it when I was 13 years old and apprehensive. All that he was aware of was that his father had stopped bringing flowers to his mother’s grave, and that a new person had taken her place at supper.
Even at the beginning, Vionna was never completely nasty. The subtle jabs that she used as a form of passive aggression were the kind that you would anticipate from someone who wanted to avoid competing with a memory. But it wasn’t just the deceased that she competed with; it was obvious that she detested Nana.
When her grandmother came to visit, she would murmur things like, “Should we dust Nana off before dinner?” and roll her eyes during her visits. on the other hand, “That old lady perfume once more—Miss mothballs and dimness?”
When we were younger, we would laugh it off, but as we got older, it became increasingly annoying. In particular, because Dad never raised his voice. With a groan, he would then change the subject.
In the past, I posed the question, “Why don’t you say something when she makes fun of Nana?” He appeared to be fatigued rather than angry.
It was him who remarked, “She is not your mother.” “She is making an effort. That is more than the majority of people would be able to accomplish.
However, she was not making an effort. Absolutely not at all.
There was never a time when she provided assistance with homework, prepared a lunch, or showed up to a game or recital. My grandmother brought me soup and held my hand while I was sick with a fever. When Thalion was experiencing high school heartbreak as a result of a breakup, his grandmother brought him ice cream and listened to him.
Vionna was a presence in the house, but she was never a part of it. We learned to ignore her pokes at Nana, but she was always there.
When Thalion returned to me the night after he proposed to Lysara, he told me, “Only two people are giving toasts at the wedding.” This was the moment when Thalion became engaged to Lysara. Nana and you both.”
I blinked my eyes. “You’re not Dad?”
The man gave a head shake. I have a lot of affection for him, yet he is too lenient. Where is Vionna? It was a grimace. “It’s not a family member. Her father is her father’s wife.
Neither of us argued. It was the same for me.
No matter how hard she tried, Vionna never mothered us. It made my stomach turn to think that she would use the wedding as an opportunity to act as if we were her children.
I assisted in the planning of the wedding, primarily due to the fact that Lysara was kind but overwhelmed. Lysara received a lovely set of pearls from her grandmother as a wedding gift, and her grandmother also volunteered to pay for Thalion’s tuxedo. There were tears in Lysara’s eyes as she opened it.
As Lysara mumbled, “This is something that my mother would have done,” she was overcome with emotion. “I am grateful.”
When I saw Vionna standing in the corner, her lips were pressed together and her arms were crossed, I knew that trouble was on the way.
On the other hand, I never, ever imagined that it would be the case.
On the day of Thalion’s wedding, everything went off without a hitch.
The sun was shining, and the temperature was just right—like something out of a bridal magazine. With a string quartet, fairy lights, and white roses, Thalion was dressed in navy, and Lysara was beaming.
Following the meal, I made my toast. The stories I told about growing up with Thalion included his peculiar preoccupation with frogs when he was eight years old and how he attempted to sell “lucky stones” to neighbors. Some people shed tears, while others chuckled.
I caught a glimpse of Nana, who was making use of a tissue to dab her eyes.
Following the cutting of the cake, the DJ then called for the final toast, which was Nana’s.
As she stood there, she was a little wobbly but proud, and she was holding a small notebook that had her speech. Her lips moved as she practiced the first phrase of the piece. The room fell silent.
It was at that moment that Vionna, who was sitting two tables away and holding a wine glass in her manicured hand, threw her head back and laughed out loud.
Who was it that allowed the janitor to come in early? Her voice was penetrating as she spoke. “I beg your pardon, Nana, but your shift to clean up won’t begin until after dinner.”
The room became icy.
As the string quartet rotated, chairs remained stationary, and forks hovered in the air.
Even though she was still standing, Nana blinked as she carefully lowered her glass.
Vionna snorted once. I’m joking around! You people are so compassionate, it’s just amazing!
She had gone beyond what was acceptable.
I stood halfway, my heart beating so fast that I was unable to think clearly. Thalion was frozen in place, his jaw tight, and his eyes flaming with rage. I gazed at him.
It was before I had a chance to move that he suddenly jumped up and marched to the DJ booth.
It was “Mic,” he said, reaching out to me.
After a moment of hesitation, the DJ handed it over.
The tone of Thalion’s voice was not raised. He had no reason to do so.
“Yes, I was going to say nothing,” she said. But the time has come to stop.”
Everything revolved around him.
He indicated Nana with his finger. I was brought up by this mother. Provided for both of us. While our family was breaking apart, she was the glue that kept us together. Before she passed away, Mom was present at every single event, including every game, every spelling bee, and every bruised knee.
When we were unable to sleep, she would tell us stories, cook for us, clean for us, and hold us when we sobbed. “She did not have to, but she did it anyway.”
Next, he proceeded to face Vionna.
“As for you. You have done nothing but make an effort to get rid of her. You believe that you can make people forget what she has done by telling them a terrible joke? Why is she so important to us?
The moment Vionna opened her mouth, Thalion did not wait for a moment.
You are aware of the reason why I did not ask you to appear today. I didn’t want to be a victim of bogus love. I was hoping for someone who would turn up. One who is aware of the cereal that I enjoy eating. Who among us can recall Mom’s lullabies? Who remained patient as I practiced the recorder for a period of three hours? who purchased my soccer equipment with her retirement funds. Who would have driven through a snowstorm to get me some cough pills and soup while I was sick with the flu?
When I looked at Vionna’s expression, I couldn’t tell if she was angry or embarrassed. The wine glass was wrapped around her knuckles, which were white.
Thalion approached Nana, extended his arm to support her, and whispered, “Nana, my second mom, I respectfully request that you convey the message that you have come to convey.”
As she took the microphone and faced Vionna, Nana stood up higher then.
“Don’t freak out, my dear. Given that I am currently “on the clock,” I will keep this brief.
The room erupted in the sound of astonished laughing. I was on the verge of choking. Nana never responded with a clap; instead, she would calmly take insults and walk away from the situation. However, she stood her ground tonight.
After turning her back on Thalion, she smiled.
“My darling, My dear Thalion. As your mother was giving birth to you, she remarked that you were the second-best thing that had ever occurred to her in her entire life. Being able to witness you with this stunning young lady by your side would bring tears of joy to her eyes if she were present there now. Despite the tears that were flowing down her face, she gazed at Lysara.
“To speak in her place is a tremendous honor for me.”
One of her glasses was lifted.
Greetings, Thalion and Lysara! I wish for your love to be more powerful than cruelty, more powerful than pride, and more kind than remorse.
Everybody stood up, and the applause continued. Everyone in the foursome applauded.
Are you Vionna? Her heels clicked furiously on the marble floor as she walked out of the room, muttering something to her father before leaving. She was in the parking lot within ten minutes, fumbling with her keys as she made her way there.
Later on, I learned that she attempted to complain to her father and demanded that he “do something.”
After making eye contact with her, he addressed her by saying, “You brought this on yourself.”
She failed to come back and left before dessert was served.
Thalion turned to Nana and asked, “Would you like to dance with me?” on the occasion of the mother-son dance, which was being performed by the DJ.
She paused for a moment before nodding.
Thalion whispered something to her that caused her to smile through her tears as they gently swayed.
Each and every eye in the room was completely dry.
I felt that my mother was also present for the very first time in a very long time. With a smile. I am proud.
In the same way as us.